Whoomp defeated arch-rival Somemore Blue in a stretch showdown to take the $132,394 fourth leg of the Indiana Sire Stakes (INSS) for three-year-old filly pacers on Saturday, July 11 at Hoosier Park.

Whoomp, driven by John De Long, was slotted into post four and Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) in post five as each filly aimed for their second win against the other this year. Whoomp was the quickest early, pocketing her rival in a :26.1 first quarter before leading a six-horse field to the half-mile mark in :54.2. Moving into the final turn, the lead duo began to separate from the remainder of the group, and Somemore Blue started to edge off the pylons past three-quarters in 1:22.4.

Somemore Blue took her shot in the stretch as the highly anticipated grudge match took shape, with both fillies in top gear as Whoomp led by a length at the eighth pole. Somemore Blue closed throughout the stretch drive, but a :25.4 final quarter proved enough for Whoomp to hold on for a quarter-length victory in a career-best 1:48.3. Treacherous Woman (Kyle Wilfong) was third. The lifetime head-to-head tally between Whoomp and Somemore Blue now stands at 5-4 in favour of the former. 

Whoomp added her third win of the season in four tries for trainer Roger Welch and owners William De Long, Patrick De Long and Jesse De Long. The daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap boosted her lifetime earnings to $684,178 with her 11th victory in 17 starts. She paid $6.20 to win.

Week 23 of live racing at Hoosier starts off with a 13-race card on Tuesday, July 14. The program has $10,000 guarantees in both the Late Pick 4 (Races 10-13) and Late High 5 (Race 13) in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program. First post is 5:30 p.m.

(With files from Hoosier Park)